Category Archives: Cadillac Models

Okay, You want the Cadillac CTS Coupe; now which one do you want?

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The new 2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe will be arriving in Cadillac showrooms this summer.  So, let’s look at which one of these luxury performance sedans you want.

First, there is a choice between the V-Coupe and the V6 Coupe.  The V-Coupe is the CTS-V Coupe, with the Supercharged 6.2L 556 hp V8, Brembo Brakes, Magnetic (MR) Suspension, and other supercar goodies.  The V6 Coupe has the LLT Direct Injected 3.6L 304 hp V6 engine.   Cadillac has not announced pricing yet for the CTS Coupe.   The V-Coupe is likely to start at $65K, while the V6 Coupes might run from $45-55K.

CTS-V Coupe: If you decide on the CTS-V Coupe you are almost done.  The main options to decide on then are colors, and whether to get the Recaro Seats, and the Sapele wood trim options.  Again, I recommend both of these options as relatively worth the money after testing a CTS-V Sedan with both.  If you can’t afford them, then the “base” CTS-V Coupe is excellent out of the box, no worries.

RWD or AWD: For the V6 CTS Coupe, the next choices are between rear-wheel drive (RWD) and all-wheel drive (AWD).  If you live in an area that has snow, I would want the AWD.  The AWD does add some weight and so the RWD tends to be faster off the line and at the track.  But if you need AWD, it is a great feature to have. For other options on either the RWD or AWD, the rest of the discussion applies to either.

V6 Base: The Base CTS Coupe is the least expensive way to buy and enjoy a CTS Coupe.  It has the great looks, the great V6 engine, limited slip differential, and the FE2 Sport Suspension.  What it does not offer is the luxury packages, wood trim, or performance package with maximum rubber / wheels / paddle shifters etc.  This CTS Coupe still has all the core goodness included.

V6 CTS Performance Coupe : The CTS Performance Coupe adds electric, heated memory seats, bluetooth, garage door opener, an improved audio system, and high intensity discharge (HID) headlights.  This is also the “I want it my way” option, because it opens up a lot of available option packages.  If you don’t want everything that comes on the Premium Package, the Performance package lets you pick and choose the options that are important to you.

V6 CTS Premium Coupe: The CTS Premium Coupe is the maxed-out, fully equipped CTS Coupe.  If you don’t need the max performance features of the CTS-V Coupe, but want everything AND the economy of the V6 Coupe, this is your Cadillac.   The Premium Coupe adds to the Performance Coupe: theft deterrent, rear view camera, accent lighting, heated/vented front seats, power telescoping steering wheel, cabin air filtration, premium audio with navigation, sunroof with power sunshade, and Sapele wood trim.

The main decision available on the Premium Coupe is whether to get the Y43 Performance Package (Summer tire) option:

Y43 Performance Package: 19″ (48.3 cm) Summer Tire, includes (KB7) steering wheel mounted paddle shift controls, (P87) 19″ x 8.5″ polished wheels, (QIV) P245/45ZR Y-rated performance summer tires, (V03) performance cooling system, (FE3) performance suspension and (J55) performance brake system

This is an interesting option because it pushes the suspension to FE3, as well as adds performance brakes and additional engine cooling.  Cadillac has also said that the Recaro sport seats will be available as an option.

Summary

I like the way Cadillac has packaged the CTS Coupe.  From the Base to the Design-your-own Performance model to the Fully Optioned Premium Model, I don’t see any bad choices here, and the options are laid out in a thoughtful manner to suit a variety of buyers.

Cadillac has said the CTS Coupes will arrive in showrooms this summer.  Please contact your local Cadillac Dealer for exact timing, or to pre-order.

Performance Tires vs Performance Suspension?

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I am hard on tires.  I enjoy driving safely but accelerating briskly from a stop, and not slowing down for corners.    In fact, an ideal passage through a corner is if you hit the apex and just scrub off enough speed to keep the car on track.   That process, scrubbing off enough speed, is part of the problem, because it also tends to means shorter tire life.

As I once mentioned to a friend, if the tires are not squealing as you proceed through the corner, you are not challenging the car.

My current 2005 Cadillac CTS 3.6L has the FE1 (soft) suspension, and the same size wheels and tires all the way around, 225/55R16s.    The car came with Goodyear tires, which I replaced with some take-off OEM Goodyear tires which then were replaced with some Kumho’s and now I have some Continental Touring tires on it.  You begin to see the problem.

Further complicating my planning is that the current performance Cadillacs have staggered wheels/tires, so the rear wheels and tires are larger than the front wheels and tires.  So one cannot rotate the tires front to rear, thus extending the life a bit.

But a key issue is that while the tires on the 2005 Cadillac CTS tend to cost around $110 each, modern high performance tires as used on the V-series tend to run $200-250 each.  Yes, they are great tires.  Yes, they put up great skidpad numbers and help acceleration.  Yes, they are expensive.  And if you are a frequent tire buyer (which I prefer to tire addict) then the expensive part can come up a lot.

Now, I have considered that part of the problem is in fact the FE1 suspension is not designed for the more sporty driving, but is designed for more comfort.  So if I move to a Cadillac that was designed with the expectation of more cornering it perhaps would lead to less tire wear.  I keep trying to find comfort in that line of thought at least.

Meanwhile, I probably need to start saving up for new tires.

Power versus MPG

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In selecting my next Cadillac, I am drawn the to highest performance models available within my budget.  More is always better right?

My model for the ‘right’ 0-60 time for a sport sedan is 5.5 to 6  seconds this year.   Performance of cars as a whole changes over time, as automobile performance improves.

The current CTS DI 3.6L will do 0-60 mph in 6.3-6.5 sec.  The CTS should be below 6 seconds with 304 hp, but it also gained a bit of weight with added features, and has fuel economy minded gearing.  Yes I recognize that is kind of in the same range, but let’s assume for this discussion that quicker is important.  So the CTS 3.6L is just on the upper edge of my desired performance envelope, and is right in the right zone for MPG.

Now, the 2006-2009 STS-V with 469 hp will go 0-60 in around 5 sec, or as Cadillac measured in under 5 seconds.  However, this model gets 19 mpg highway compared to the CTS DI 3.6L V6 MPG of 28 MPG highway.

One compromise candidate is the 2005-2009 STS 4.6L V8, with the 320 hp VVT Northstar.  This sedan gets very close to 0-60 mph in 6 sec in most tests, and has fair fuel economy at 24 mpg highway.

The new Gen2 CTS-V with 556 hp supercharged 6.2L V8 will do 0-60 mph in under 4 seconds with a Cadillac test driver, or just over 4 seconds with a magazine writer driving.  The new CTS-V is still outside of my budget however, and also gets 19 mpg highway.

The 2006-2007 Cadillac CTS-V with 6L LS2 V8 engines would do 0-60 in under 5 seconds, and are rated at 24 mpg highway.  So these are interesting, but they will soon be out of warranty.  I like to keep my daily driver under warranty, so if there is an issue I can simply drop it off for service, pick up a loaner car, and be on my way.  These are also only available in manual transmissions.  A manual is okay for me, but is challenging for other members of my household.

So this thought process leaves me wondering if I should change my target from “as quick as possible” to “as quick as possible and still get more than 24 mpg highway”, or similar.

In this range that 5 mpg costs around $1000 per year given my mileage per year and average gas prices.  So would you pay $1000 per year for another 150 hp, or 47% more power?  I suppose over the 5 years I plan to drive the car that is less than the cost of a Supercharger or similar power adder.

How many MPG is more power worth to you?